A conventional information processing apparatus includes a display device having two screens with a function to display information and a touch panel function to input information. An example of such an apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2-127714/1990 (Tokukaihei 2-127714). The apparatus is an electronic equipment (e.g., a personal computer) that has two touch panels, instead of one, using a liquid crystal display device (LCD device) and the like in lieu of a conventional fixed input keyboard.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-165547/1993 (Tokukaihei 5-165547) describes an apparatus having a keyboard attached to the main body and a touch panel-cum-display section attached on the back side of the lid body. The lid body can be switched from a closed state to an open state and further switched to a stacked state. In the stacked state, the lid body is laid on the main body so that the display section of the lid body section faces upwards, and pen input and touch input are possible with the touch panel of the lid body.
However, a conventional display section, such as an LCD, with an input function needs a lighting section such as a backlight. Therefore, if the main body has that kind of display section (e.g., a device described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 5-165547/1993), and the lid body is positioned in the stacked state, heat of the display section of the main body does not escape and affects its crystal liquid screen. Also, power is wasted, because the lighting is not turned off although the display section of the main body cannot be seen. An operation is necessary to turn on/off the backlight of the display section of the main body according to states of the lid body, adding a complication to operations.
When the lid body is moved into the stacked state, and the "double screens" are changed into the "single screen", the display state of the display sections are not changed, and therefore the information displayed on the displayed section of the main body cannot be seen. Especially, when an input is being performed with the display section of the main body, an operation is necessary to transfer the information displayed on the display section of the main body to the display section of the lid body, adding a complication to operations.
Incidentally, portable information processing apparatuses are often used for presentation and the like. When the user wants to show the screen of the display section to another person, the user must turn around the whole apparatus. Otherwise the other person must stand behind the user to look at the screen. This is very inconvenient. When the user wants to see where the other person is pointing at on the screen, the user must stand behind the other person to look at the screen. This is also very inconvenient. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 6-161600/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-161600) discloses an apparatus having a screen which can be turned around to face backward without changing the position of the main body, and which can also turn the screen display upside down. However, the apparatus has only one screen, which is inconvenient when two persons need to look at the single screen at the same time.